


Exar: A Youth Wars Prequel

by ExarSunrider



Series: Youth Wars [7]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Action, Adventure, Alternate Universe, First Order, HK droid - Freeform, Introspection, Post-Star Wars: A New Hope, Post-Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Post-Star Wars: Rebels, Post-Star Wars: Resistance, Post-Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Post-Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Post-Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Post-Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Post-Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Prequel, Resistance, Star Wars - Freeform, Starwars - Freeform, Very Alternate Universe, short fic, this ain't your typical SW fanfic, totally not canon, wish it was, youthwars
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-08-01 07:05:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16279943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExarSunrider/pseuds/ExarSunrider
Summary: In this Youth Wars prequel, we go back years before the Jedi trio came to be. We follow Exar Sunrider in his later days in his older, brutal, anti-Resistance organization. He has all he wants: power, and friends; or so he thinks until his tables begin to turn. He will soon be longing for a true meaning for his life.





	1. Chapter 1

                                                                                                      Exar: A Youth Wars Story  
  
                                                                                                          Part 1: The Deserter

  
**_(This story is in two parts; the second part is in progress. I will not be uploading daily, as I have multiple books in the works right now.)_ **

 

Chapter 1

  
The dripping of perspiration. The beating of his heartbeat. The scream of the crowd. The bruises on his skin. The drops of blood. The typical sensation of a brawl. Exar managed a smirk as he recovered. He lifted his head, and -as the opponent approached- flipped into the air. He twisted his body around, and gave his rival's head a heavy side-kick. He landed and swiftly spun around him, and pushed him into the stone wall, shoving him head-first into the brick.

  
The adversary fell, nearly passed out. Exar stepped away, then raised his arms, and faced all of the crowd as applaude erupted. The other Zabrak rose, slowly, and rubbed his head and stretched. He approached Exar and stuck his arm out. "Good match, Exar."

  
Exar faced him and clasped his forearm, "Very good, Heceowa."

  
"I'll be victorious next match." Heceowa told him.

  
"Nah, you know I'm better than you."

  
"All it takes is more training. One of these days though, Exar."

  
Exar shrugged, then they picked up their capes and upper garments, and retreated back through the doors to fully recover.

  
\---

  
Exar bandaged himself, after applying bacta to his wounds. He put his unifrom back on, then looked into the mirror, and observed himself. He laughed, then said to himself, "You're gonna hurt yourself one of these days."

  
. . .

  
He smiled again. "And you're gonna get in trouble if you keep trying to sneak up on me like that." Exar spoke loudly, turning his head to the side, eyeing the shadow in the corner.  
  


 A human emerged from the corner. "What are you gonna do about it?" He teased with a grin.

  
"Something you _can't_ do." Exar replied.

  
"Yeah right." Ephraim said as they hugged.

  
"Oh, but one of these days. How'd the mission go?" Exar asked as they separated.

  
"Same result every time. Find the base, scare the soldiers, _destroy_ the base, chase _away_ the soldiers... after destorying every means by which they fight." Ephraim replied.

  
Exar paused for a second, then replied, "That sounds normal."

  
"Mhm. How'd the match go? And who'd you fight?"

  
"Do you _really_ need to know how I beat Heceowa?"

  
"Say no more. What's on the agenda?"

  
"Nothing new."

  
"Hitting the training deck?"

  
"Same ol', same ol'."

  
\---

  
The leaders gathered into a mediocre, cave room, bringing together the council. Consisting of Zabraks Aren Mastigar, Tover Chelchu, and Ora Tao-ni; and humans Dara Tarask, and Jecht Woodle. They were all similar, but very different. Tough, headstrong, and smart: all attributes fit for leaders.

  
Aren Mastigar was the main head of the council; he ran everything that went on in their caves. He had only the horns on the back of his head -and parts of the horns on the front- due to an accident on one of his missions. Black and red tattoos, and only a few scars covered his body. He always wore, the same as everyone else, black robes.

  
Tover Chelchu was second-in-command; he was in charge of organization. He was Aren's right-hand-man. and occasionaly the leader when Aren was gone. He too had red and black tattoos, but unlike Aren, Tover had all horns and no scars; but had cybernetic fingers and right eye.

  
Ora Tao-ni was in charge of leading the students in meditation and in connecting with the force, learning new things every once in a while. Being one connected with the force more, she was always the calmest one, even in hard situations. Despite that, she was brutal when necessary. She had black and yellow tattoos, and all her horns.

  
Human Dara Tarask was the teacher of physical combat; she was the strongest physically, a toughie with muscles, but though she had immense strength with the force, she rarely uses it. She had dark, shoulder-length hair, and bright blue eyes that -some would say- might have been crafted by the force itself.

  
Jecht Woodle was in charge of all missions and the mission "simulator". He formed plans, and computes the possible outcomes of each mission. He had very short hair, which best fit his round face and dark eyes. He knew best who to send on any mission, and was proud of any decision he made; missions hardly ever came out wrong.

  
"Now that we're all here, we shall begin." Ora said.

  
"You've made us all curious." Jecht said to her.

  
"I'm aware. I have made a discovery in one of our students." Ora said.

  
"You don't say?" Tover asked sarcastically.

  
"Shortly after a session, I delved into the force, meditating, again. And this time, the force has shown me a trace of an element." Ora explained.

  
Aren remained still, stroking his chin, looking downward, while the others shared gazes.

  
"Do you happen to know which element?" Jecht asked.

  
" _Is_ it one of our current sudents? Or is it one we'll meet, soon, perhaps?" Dara wondered.

  
"It's Ephraim." Aren said, drawing everyone's attention to himself. "Our most gifted pupil. I've always sensed something special in him, and I suspected as much as an elemental power. I meditated on the force, as well, and have also found a hint of it."

  
"You knew?" Tover asked.

  
"Of course he did." Dara reasoned.

  
"He _is_ the smartest of all students, he functions at a faster rate than all the others; and being as strong as he is, I dare say he's more than gifted." Jecht said.

  
"When are we going to tell him?" Dara asked.

  
"As soon as possible. He needs to immediately begin advanced training to unlock his special ability. I will leave it to Jecht and Ora."

  
"Already know what we need to do." Ora said.

  
"Very good. Council dismissed."

  
As everyone began leaving, Aren summoned Ora back. "We are to receive new additions soon. I had a vision, concerning people I had never seen before. I'm going to need you to do a little mind probe around them. I believe we will have all six of them soon."

  
"All six?" Ora whispered. "Is it time?" Ora asked, after assessing the context of his statement.

  
"It is. We will need to prepare."

  
"Why didn't you inform the others?"

  
"For all I know, this may just be a test; given the possible circumstances, I believe this information is best kept confidential."

  
"But don't you think that if we receive all six elementeers we'll need their help to properly help the students manifest their power?"

  
"I'll tell you what, sister, if we find them within our grip, we'll let everyone else know. That sound alright?"

  
Ora rolled her eyes while grinning. "You're the boss." She said playfully.

  
\---

  
        Exar and Ephraim trained hard in the gym, sparring, running, and lifting. Their gym, like most event rooms in their catacombs, was lit by fire. Two openings on either side of the gym, but no windows. Two torches surrounded each door, and a single strand of fire ran along the wall from torch to torch. The room was lit enough to look powered by electric lights, but the room temperature was something different entirely; the heat would be considered above average for outsiders, but was normal to the inhabitants.

  
Exar and Ephraim were finished exercising, then Exar decided to bring up a topic on his mind. "You know, besides today, we haven't really talked much. Not in a long time."

  
"I guess so." Ephraim replied as they exited the gym.

  
"We've been friends for as long as I can remember, and I think the lack of communication has been severing a bond we established." Exar continued as they entered a neighboring room.

  
        "You know I'm a busy guy. I've been a hard worker, and have impressed our leaders. If I keep it up, I could fulfill my dreams of becoming probably one of the most powerful force-wielders the galaxy has ever known. And you know as well as I do, that that's not something anyone would like to pass up. My point is: I can't spend too much time doing other things other than become stronger."

  
"You can't let attachments get in the way of your destiny." Exar figured.

  
"I guess so." Ephraim said again. "Let's talk later."

  
Exar and Ephraim took turns refreshing themselves, showering, and cooling down. Once done, they met back outside and walked through the halls.

  
"I hope you understand my perspective."

  
"Yeah."

  
"Great things can't undermine more important things."

  
"I know attachments shouldn't get in the way, but _they_ can also make you stronger. If you know how to treat them properly, they help shape your fate."

  
"Also a considerable fact."

  
"Attachments go both ways. Together, we can get more done than we can apart. One man can't do the job of two." Exar told him.

  
"Only half the job." Ephraim replied.

  
Exar internally laughed. "A force-wielder, but not an elementeer."

  
"Ephraim!" Ora and Jecht shouted across the hall.

  
"Masters?" Ephraim acknowledged.

  
"Jecht and I need to have a word with you." Ora said.

  
Ephraim looked concerned. "What about?"

  
"It's confidential." Jecht answered.

  
"Ah." Ephraim's eyebrows raised.

  
"I'll catch ya later." Exar said, waving him off. Ephraim disappeared into the distance, and Exar stood there thinking to himself. _'Aaaaand what do I do now?_ '

  
\--- _Meanwhile, Somewhere in the Outer Rim_ \---

  
Two Zabraks dashed stealthily through the grass under the night sky.

  
"Where were the coordinates of those signals?" One asked.

  
"Just up ahead. Wait! Northwest, now!" The other replied as they leaned another direction and resumed running. They shortly came across a Resistance base; they laid down in the grass and observed. "Keep an eye out. I'm transmitting the coordinates to base."

  
\---

  
Exar finished up eating a meal, and remained sat at the table. Heceowa joined him shortly. "What's up?" Exar asked monotonically.

  
"I gotta know. What's your secret?"

  
"Eh?"

  
"How do you win each time? It seems like no matter how hard I train-"

  
"When are you going to figure out that it isn't just brawn that gets you through a fight?"

  
"There can be ways to go around it. That force-stuff kinda creeps me out, and I'd prefer to distance myself from it."

  
"One of these days, you'll change your mind."

  
"The day my life hangs on the line will be the day I consider."

  
"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Exar asked, chuckling.

  
"If we're taken captive, if we're invaded." Heceowa pointed out.

  
"We are safe here. Invasion is unlikely." Exar told him.

  
\---

  
All students were attending Ora's force class. Exar looked around, but didn't spot Ephraim anywhere. He, as well as all other students, sat in connection with the force. It had been a while since any student had received a vision during this time, but that was going to change.

  
Exar knew Ephraim's absence meant something was up, and he knew it was definitely something force-related; he focused on that, and was not disappointed.

  
*

  
He found himself back in the catacomb hallways, but they were all empty. Not a sound was heard, and all lights were still; no flickering and no popping. He saw torches along the wall, but the fire wasn't moving. He approached one of them, and hesitantly reached out, but the still fire didn't scorch his hand. He pulled it back and stared, amazed.

  
"What is this?" He asked aloud, hoping for a response, but all he heard was the echo.

 

He turned away from the torch and faced the cave, but saw something different. Something horrifying. All of a sudden, several dead bodies were strewn about. All familiar faces. He screamed and stumbled back. He regained himself, still weak in his knees, but started trudging through the mess. He looked around at all the bodies, starting to panic.

  
"What happened?"

  
He stopped in his tracks once he saw Heceowa. He knelt down in front of him, and sensed no life in him.

  
"He doesn't deserve this." He looked around. "None of them do."

  
He got up and continued to reach the end. He then felt that he stepped in a puddle. He looked down, and saw the pile of blood. He screamed, and tripped. Looking intensely at the puddle, he noticed a reflection forming. He looked into it more, but didn't see himself. Just a black shadow. The shadow started moving away, until it was 'far away.' Exar frowned slightly, growing curious, but still scared. Then it disappeared.

  
Then he noticed something happening to the lighting in the distance. The lights were going out. All the torches were going out, row-by-row. Soon, they were all put out, and he saw only blackness. Then a single torch lit up in the middle, but Exar noticed he wasn't in the same place. He then saw a collected puff of black smoke next to the torch. He stared at the strange, lively gas in front of him. . .

  
. . .

  
Then it clicked to him.

  
\---

  
He awoke suddenly, on his back. Students were gathered around him, and Ora standing above them.

  
"What happened?" Ora asked.

  
"A..." He thought about it for a second. "I think it was the future."

  
"A vision?"

  
"Uh, I- it." He simply gave up.

  
Ora sensed distress and fear in Exar. "Come with me." She ordered.

  
Exar shakily stood, and followed along.

  
\---

  
Exar sat down on a mat; Ora sat in front of him. Exar was slumped, his back and neck bending; he kept his gaze downwad, and he was shaking. Ora could tell he was afraid. "Tell me what it was you saw."

  
"It was all death." He replied with a raspy tone. "Everyone, was gone."

  
"Then we must work harder to try to prevent it from happening."

  
"How can you prevent the future?"

  
"It might have been the future, or it might have been a warning."

  
"Either way... It could still most likely happen."

  
"Soon, we will change things. We will double our efforts to diminish the Resistance once and for all. The Republic and The First Order will have no one to fight their battles."

  
"But... the First Order will still have theirs."

  
"Times like these we start letting the others know of our plans." Ora sighed. "With the Resistance gone, the First Order army will have no reason to fight; they'll be relieved of duty, _then_ we'll hunt _them_ down."

  
Then an alarm rang through the halls.

  
"Speak of the force. You better get going." Ora said.

  
"Alright."

  
\---

  
The mission team gathered around the hologram tables; Jecht joined them when he was done assessing the plan. "Two of ours reported the sighting of a Resistance camp on Talus. It's a medium base; minimum soldiers. It will only require a few soldiers. I'll be assigning Exar, Ephraim, Heceowa, and Heceowa will choose some partners of his own to accompany him."

  
"Why does Heceowa get to choose others?" Exar asked.

  
"Because you and Ephraim are good enough on your own, and don't need extra help." Jecht said.

  
"Ouch. Don't let him hear you say that."

  
"He's not here yet. You're being sent ahead of time; like I said, you guys are good enough on your own, and he'll need some time to choose his teammates."

  
"Seems like we're in no rush." Ephraim said.

  
"Not too much. Take your shuttle. But first..." Jecht signalled the rest away, then gestured Exar and Ephraim towards him. "The council has noticed your intelligent strategies, as well as _advancement_ of your intelligence, _and_ strategies. To sum it up, you are going to receive honorary titles. Codenames, or something."

  
"Well." Ephraim faltered. "We are honored, but, how do we choose?"

  
"You don't. _I_ do. Exar. Your ferociousness and remarkable brutality has earned you the title, 'Mirtis.' It means 'death.' "

  
"Thank you, sir." Exar said, bowing his head.

  
"Ephraim. In the galaxy, we are considered disgusting lowlifes, not just by the Republic. We are _proud_ of who we are; if we are lowlifes, then so be it. 'Erk' shall be your title. It isn't a title smiled upon by most, but if we're the opposite of what the galaxy wants, then take it with pride."

  
"I will. Thank you sir." Ephraim replied.

  
"Then get to it. Don't leave everyone waiting." Jecht ordered.

  
"Let's kick their butts." Ephraim said, cracking his knuckles.

  
"Let's break their butts. And more." Exar added as they were on their way.

 


	2. Chapter 2

  
Chapter 2

  
Dara Tarask was pacing around her training room, observing the combat skills of her students. They all had excellent forms, though some were weaker than others. She was proud of most sudents, but some were lacking in most areas.

  
She moved over to a group of friends who were particularly low on skill, but not too low. A little clumsy, but not unacceptable. They were aparring with each other, but were trying too hard. As they swiped at each other, they spun themselves around and knocked themselves off balance.

  
"Sloppy." Dara said. "You're not trying hard enough."

  
"We're trying as hard as we can!" One of them complained.

  
"You're focusing all your strength in your fists; you're supposed to use the force to help channel all your might from your shoulder, through your arm, and to your hand. It'll exert more force. Heceowa, get your friends in shape." Dara said.

  
"I've been trying." Heceowa told her.

  
Dara sighed. "You need to seize this essential; you're supposed to leave to join Exar and Ephraim on their mission soon."

  
"What is their mission?"

  
\---

  
The two shadowy figures dashed through the fields to arrive upon the base. They spotted it and began forming their plan.

  
"This place is locked and loaded. What are we doing until Heceowa gets here?" Exar asked quietly.

  
"We take out the big guns." Ephraim said, jumping down to the base.

  
" _Wait! What are the big guns?_ " Exar loudly whispered.

  
Ephraim jumped down into the middle of the base, startling the Resistance troops; he jumped again up to the cannons on top of the base, before he was fired at.  
Exar jumped down behind the troops; he grabbed the back of one of their heads, delivered a hard punch to his face -knocking him out-, and threw him into the pack.

  
"We're surrounded!"

  
"Keep at it!"

  
Exar kept discarding the soldiers until the squad was no more. Ephraim worked on disabling the guns over the base.

  
Several more soldiers approached Exar and surrounded him. "Put your hands in the air, now!" Ephraim knew what to do, and ducked.

  
Exar grinned, then slowly raised his hands; the officers went over and cuffed him. "Intruder is apprehended." The soldier commed the base.

  
Then one of the giant guns on the base was then thrown down into the crowd, crushing many troopers. Exar jumped and pulled his hands from behind himself, then ran and kicked other soldiers down; he choked one to death with his cuffs. He picked up a pair of keys and used the force to easily unlock himself.

  
Ephraim jumped down and joined him. "I took care of the guns up top. Take care of the rest inside; I'll keep a lookout." Ephraim said before taking off, but he didn't leave without noticing the green mist emanating from his fingertips.

  
\---

  
"This is Resistance Base number 032. We are under attack. Repeat, we are under-" The door to the command center opened, then Exar stepped in.

  
"Hello boys." Exar said smugly. The Resistance soldiers raised their weapons at him. "I'll give you a chance. Drop your weapons and surrender, or die horrifically." He ended with an expression that read, _'I don't give a crap what happens.'_

  
The Resistance soldiers seemed unphased, and pulled their triggers; no blast emitted. Then they started fearing as they kept trying, but still nothing happened. Exar had his eyes closed, and his hand -which wasn't being used- was wide open; he was using the force to clog their blasters.

  
The Resistance soldiers tried retreating to other rooms of the compound to call for backup, but Exar used the force to close the doors before the soldiers could reach them. Exar stepped towards them to slaughter them; the Resistance soldiers tried their blasters again, and were successful. But as they shot, Exar ignited both sides of his double-bladed blue lightsaber and deflected the bolts back at them.

  
They were all hit, and they stumbled to the ground. A few made it up; the others were dead. Exar reached them quickly and cut them down. One on the ground was _aparently_ still alive. Exar approached him and raised his blade; the soldier was backing up as best as he could.

  
Exar then saw the look of pure fear and horror on the soldier's face, and hesitated. He didn't let go of his tough face; he thought he had to keep the intimidating factor up. The soldier's terified face seemed to disappear as he reached for his blaster swiftly and shot at Exar. Exar's instincts made him deflect the blast back to the soldier.

  
Exar remained standing in the empty room for a moment as the battle continued outside. He heard the explosions and battle cries, yet still he remained. He hadn't truly experienced being feared until this moment. He loved being friends and having friends; he enjoyed having people who loved being around him; he didn't consider that his actions in the field would put out a sense of fear in the galaxy.

  
 _'Are we... bad guys?'_ He asked himself.

  
He had been told that he was fighting the bad guys, but never thought about it. They were fighting the Resistance, but what were _they_ resisting? The Resistance does what they think is right, and they were against the First Order. There must have been something bad in the first place in order for there to be something to resist.

  
They fought the First Order, and he was fighting the Resistance. It seemed like he and the First Order were on the same side. And what he was doing was inducing fear and terror. All of a sudden, Exar began having second thoughts.

  
_' **Are** we the bad guys?'_

  
"Exar! You done in there?" Exar heard Erk shout as he entered the room.

  
"Uh, yeah. I am."

  
"Well our ride's here, and I rigged the charges. Come on!"

  
They ran out and boarded their auto-pilot pickup ship, and flew out of range. Once out of range, Erk activated the detonator, and the entire base exploded, and Exar watched as that happened, and it provoked his thoughts even more.

  
"Exar? What's up?" Erk asked as he deactivated auto-pilot and started flying the ship.

  
"Oh, no-"

  
"Don't say 'nothing.' " Erk commanded.

  
Exar quietly grunted, then said, "It's not important."

  
"Well if it's bothering you as much as I sense it is, then it's worth discussing."

  
"I've uh, I've... been having second thoughts."

  
Erk was quiet for a second. "What about?"

  
"Our way of life."

  
\---

  
Aren sensed a disturbance in the force, and it caused a disturbance within him.

  
"Does he want... to betray us?" He asked himself.

  
"Aren!" Jecht called his attention. "Our hackers intercepted Resistance picture from a secret camera."

  
"What kind of picture?" Aren asked as he took it.

  
"Enough that they can put out a warrant."

  
Sure enough, it was. They had a crystal clear picture of Exar striking down Resistance soldiers.

  
"Did you stop this from being sent?" Aren asked.

  
"I'm afraid not." Jecht replied.

  
 _'We know what we have to do then.'_ Aren thought. "Get everyone together." He commanded.

  
"Yes, sir!"

  
\---

  
Aren had the leaders gathered, and tried making his point clear and short before the attack team arrived back at the base. "We may be entering hard times soon. We have found out that the Resistance is able to identify attackers. More specifically: us. We've gone a long while without being reported, and we don't want that cycle to break."

  
"What do you suggest we do?" Ora asked.

  
"We need to find wherever it is they receive those images, and blow it to pieces."

  
"Are we going to send our attack team? They'll need time to recover." Dara said.

  
"No. We will restrain from attacking until all is clear. Then we will make our move. They may see it coming, but they're still no match for me."

  
\---

  
"I get your point. I do. It's, thought-provoking. But Exar, you're crazy if you think you could escape under Aren's watch."

  
"I know." Exar said, pausing for a dramatic moment. "But he won't always be there."

  
Ephraim thought about that for a split second. _'Ooooh kriff no!'_

  
"Exar, that's bat-dung crazy!"

  
"Aren never passes up the opportunity to undo compromise."

  
"What. . . Compromise?"

  
"He'll do anything to keep our life a secret."

  
"What did you do?"

  
"I used one of our cameras to send an image of me in the base."

  
" _ **What**_?!"

  
"They'll be on the lookout for me, maybe the most powerful student. Then, Aren won't let us go out. He'll take out the base so the Resistance has no clue about us. When Aren's gone, I'll make my move."

  
Ephraim was silent again. "Not to put your spirit down, but. . . I think I might be the most powerful." Ephraim bit his cheek, knowing how cheesy that sounded.

  
Exar knew he wasn't bragging, so he asked, "Why's that?"

  
"I wasn't supposed to tell you; but I thought I should now, in case you do leave. . . Or in any other case: **_die_**. I had a meeting with a couple of the leaders, and, they, told me I'm. . . an elementeer."

  
"An elementeer?" Exar stressed the term.

  
"Yeah." Ephraim answered quietly.

  
. . . "Dang! Uh, do. . . you know which element?"

  
"Not yet."

  
\---

  
A droid approached his Resistance commander with a report.

  
"Sir. I have received a transmission from a base in the Outer Rim."

  
"Bring it up." The commander said nonchalantly.

  
The droid plugged into a computer, and the commander looked at a screen. He saw the orange Zabrak cutting down a soldier.

  
"i know those blades. It seems we have a rogue force-sensitive." The commander said. He turned to the droid and said, "You know your job then, droid?"

  
"Yes, sir."

  
"But, _wait on my word_!"

  
"Yes sir." Then the droid went off; the commander kept his eye on it.

  
A Resistance captain approached him and said, "You ought to put more trust in that droid. He's thousands of years old, so he's not as capable as he used to be."

  
"I can't help it, captain. Do _you_ know much about HK-47's?"

  
"I do, but like I said-"

  
"I understand."

  
"Very good. As you were."

 


	3. Chapter 3

  
Chapter 3

  
Exar and Ephraim flew back into the hidden docking bay, quite nervous for the events to come.

  
Ephraim took a deep breath, then asked Exar, "So... what now?"

  
"Right now, we conform to the status quo. My plan will work, so don't worry about it."

  
"Alright." Ephraim replied, lowering the ramp. They exited the ship and met Jecht front and center.

  
"I'd normally assume the mission was a success, but the apparent uneasiness on your faces is beckoning me to question otherwise." Jecht said.

  
"Well, there may have been a slight setback, but we got it all covered." Exar said.

  
"Mhm, let's go on to make your report." Jecht said as he gestured them elsewhere.

  
\---

  
Aren had the leaked image pulled up on a hologram, and showed it to the two once Exar's report was completed. "We received this image through a Resistance radio transmission. Who does that look like?" He asked sternly as he glared at Exar.

  
"Calm down, Aren. We know who it is, and it isn't a big deal. Exar is one of our most powerful students; he can overcome Resistance forces."

  
"What's going to happen with this?" Ephraim asked about the photo.

  
"We may be too late in making sure the Resistance never receives this, but we can still prevent them from releasing it."

  
"They always wait days, even weeks, before they release photos from attacks like this." Jecht said.

  
"Exactly." Aren said.

  
Exar and Ephraim shared a glance; Exar could feel Aren glaring at him again.

  
"You're the one in charge of missions. When should we strike?" Aren then asked Jecht.

  
"We're expecting new arrivals soon. Once they get settled, we'll make our move." Jecht replied.

  
"Good. Inform the others." Aren commanded.

  
Jecht nodded, then headed out the door. Ora then entered the room. "Ephraim, it's time. Come on."

  
"Ora, we're going on a mission soon. Be prepared." Aren said.

  
"Okay." She said simply as she guided Ephraim out into the hallway; Exar loosely followed. "What was that?" She asked Jecht, who hung around the hallway.

  
"An image of Exar in an attack was leaked to the Resistance. We have to destroy the base before they share the image publicly."

  
Exar stopped in his tracks and listened until they were out of earshot, then he entered his room.

  
\---

  
Heceowa's group returned late from the mission. They were unharmed, but the same couldn't be said for their ships. They quickly powered down and exited their ships. Jecht arrived back in the docking bay a few late moments later.

  
"We took care of everything else. There are no remains of the Resistance base."

  
"Good to hear." Jecht said. _'Best news I've heard all day.'_

  
\---

  
Heceowa's report was completed, Ephraim was training, Exar was meditating; just another typical day for them, only with a small twist.

  
When the day ended, and everyone else was off to sleep, the leaders gathered in their secret cave room to formulate their plan.

  
Jecht pulled up a hologram of the Resistance base and enlarged it so it could be thoroughly seen by everyone from every angle.

  
"This base ain't like a holocron vault; it's not too heavily guarded. It'll be easy to get in, take everyone out, rig a charge and leave." Jecht summarized.

  
"There's a 'but' isn't there?" Dara asked.

  
"Unfortunately, all that will be the least of our worries. According to a spy report, we have reason to believe the Resistance has acquired an HK-47 droid to assist their work."

  
"That's a snag." Tover said.

  
"Ora and Dara will deal with him; I'll assist when my job is done." Aren said.

  
"Tover and I will secure the area and keep reinforcements away." Jecht said.

  
"Dara and I will go in and take care of everything inside. They will probably have called reinforcements by the time we're done. We'll need time to get away before the explosion. If they're smart, they'll immediately dispatch the droid. Ora and everyone else will hold it off. I will get to the ship and blow it to bits. Then we'll make our escape." Aren said.

  
"Normally I'd complain, but the craziest plans are ususally the only ones that work." Dara replied.

  
"Correct. We all know what we're doing?" Aren asked.

  
"Yes, sir." They all replied.

  
"Good. May the force be with us. We depart in two days; we will have time to fully prepare."

  
\---

  
_The Next Day_

  
The small organization had prepared for their day, but had all been summoned to the docking bay to welcome the new arrivals.

  
Aren and Ora looked on with hope for the new possible elementeers.

  
"Today, the fulfillment begins." Aren mumbled.

  
The doors then began to open. It seemed like either it took forever for them to open, or they were too rusted to open quickly.

  
One moment or another, they opened, and the carrier transport entered the bay. Everyone started clapping for the new arrivals until the ship landed.

  
Aren and the other leaders approached the ship; the door opened, and the exhaust steam let out.

  
Two figures stepped out and stopped in front of the leaders.

  
"I am Aren Mastigar; I am the leader of this organization and overseer of everyone's daily lives. Who are you two?" He asked calmly. **_'Why are there two?! There are supposed to be three!'_**

  
"I am Kaiyah Lomax; this is my friend-" Kaiyah gestured to the other one.

  
"Becky Feara." They both took a brief bow.

  
"We, uh, we don't do that here." Aren said, easing them.

  
Ora kneeled down to look at them in the eye. "I am Ora Tao-ni. I am the overseer of our students' force training. I sense a strong bond between you two. Your training here will strengthen your bond and open your mind to possibilities you never knew were there." Ora said, shaking their hands.

  
"Sounds good. Though I myself have seen a thing or two." Becky said.

  
"Oh, I like you." Ora said, making Becky chuckle slightly.

  
Jecht imposed and said, "Jecht Woodle. I handle all the missions and the plans." He shook their hands.

  
"That's right. It's becasue of his brains and strategies that we've survived this long. And this won't be changing anytime soon."

  
"You'll never know." Becky said, making Kaiyah laugh.

  
"My friend, Becky is one of the most experienced people you will have ever met. Just have her tell you her stories, and you'll understand." Kaiyah said.

  
"Now don't exclude youself." Becky told Kaiyah. "She has plenty of stories to tell, herself." She told the leaders, pointing to Kaiyah.

  
"I don't doubt it." Tover said. "I am Tover Chelchu. I am Aren's second-in-command. Whenever he's not around, I'm the one that sees everything."

  
"Even the future?" Becky asked with a raised eyebrow.

  
. . .

  
"Um... Well no one can see the future. Easily, that is. But no, Aren and I see what's happening presently."

  
"Again, you'll never know. For all you know, what you see is all the front. There could always be something much deeper going on than what meets the eye." Becky said.

  
. . .

  
"I see why she's your friend." Ora told Kaiyah, making her laugh again.

  
"And last but not least, I," Dara stepped forward, "Am Dara Tarask. I am the physical trainer of all the students, so one day they'll end up like strong beef cakes like me." She teased, flexing a muscle.

  
"Hmm." Becky hummed.

  
"That'll definitely be useful." Kaiyah said.

  
Aren then turned around and said to all the students. **_"Everyone! Give a hand to 'Kaiyah Lomax,' and 'Becky Feara.'_** **Even though they each already have two."**

Everyone laughed, then cheered. Once the cheering died down, Aren guided the newcomers to Ephraim and Exar.

  
"These are our two strongest students. Exar," Aren gestured to Exar. "And Ephraim." He gestured to Ephraim. "They can fill you in on what goes on here. Once you get settled, your training will begin." Then the leaders and other students scrambled elsewhere.

  
"I am Ephraim."

  
"And I am Exar."

  
"Becky."

  
"Kaiyah."

  
"Word on the street is you're the most gifted student here." Kaiyah said to Ephraim.

  
"One of, at least. I'm no master or anything."

  
"So, tell me a little about yourself."

  
"Other than what you already know. . . Well, I like music; I know of all kinds. I do a little listening in my spare time. Other than that, I just study to become the best of what I can be."

  
"Hm. I'm impressed." Kaiyah hummed.

  
"What about you?"

  
"Well, I'm kinda the same. The reason I was brought here was because it was believed that I have the potential to become, what they call, an elementeer."

  
 _'Woah! Another?'_ Ephraim exclaimed to himself.

  
\---

  
"I too am into music." Exar said to Becky. "I am kinda like Ephraim, only. . ." Exar shrugged, "Like, his, runnerup. I guess. So, how long have you and Kaiyah known each other?"

  
"A pretty long time; we're like sisters."

  
"Ah. I feel like a brother to Ephraim; I've known him almost my whole life. Though he doesn't let me in on anything personal in his life. I thought this was the kind of stuff close friends were supposed to share. We have our good times, though. Those are good times. You might like him."

  
"I see. Well, it seems like Kaiyah has already taken a shining to him." Becky averted her gaze to Kaiyah and Ephraim.

  
"-what they call, an elementeer."

  
"Yeah, I'm an elementeer too." Becky added.

  
 _'What the?!'_ Exar and Ephraim thought.

  
"Lucky. I'm not an elementeer; I wonder what it feels like, knowing you have a special gift to share." Exar said.

  
"You'll find out your thing soon enough." Ephraim condoled.

  
"I hope so." Exar said.

  
"Well, do we have places to stay?" Kaiyah asked.

  
"Uh, yes. Just follow me." Ephraim said, guiding Kaiyah along through the cave halls.

  
Exar and Becky shared a quick glance, then Exar said, "I think I ship them already."

  
"Me too." Becky said as they followed Ephraim.

  
\---

  
As Becky and Kaiyah were getting settled, Exar and Ephraim went off to train more. They started out lifting big, heavy weights.

  
"So those new recruits are something aren't they? They just come in, and the next moment, you find out that they could be the best people to come into your life." Exar said.

  
"Yeah. Too bad you're leaving soon. They're probably going to wish you had stayed." Ephraim pointed out. "I can tell they already think you're a great guy. It'd be a shame for you to leave this soon."

  
Exar lowered the weights as that thought struck his mind. "Well... You know I have to. This life is not a good influence on a decent life. We're murdering the people who I think are trying to protect this galaxy. We're killing them in cold blood. Isn't that thought-provoking?"

  
"It is, but for you to leave just like that after we get new recruits is also thought-provoking. Can you think about how that feels?"

  
"I can, yes. But you know it's for the greater good. I will see you guys again."

  
"It will be hard without you." Ephraim said.

  
"I've still yet to receive an answer on 'how?' "

  
"Sometimes you don't need an answer, you just need to believe it."

  
"You know, I did sense an unusually strong bond forming between you and uh, Kaiyah. If you need any advice or anything, I could give you some. You know, before I go."

  
"That won't be necessary. If I need advice, I'll go to someone a little more experienced in relationships."

  
"Oh so you think I'm _inexperienced_? You think you know everything about me?"

  
"Well, no, I-"

  
"Did it ever occur to you why I want to help? It's just for the sake of being a good friend. When you reject it, I feel like I'm failing at it. I want to help you through what I couldn't help myself through."

  
"It's just better to get someone who knows how to deal with this sort of thing."

  
"Did you hear a **_word_ ** I just said? After I get a lot of time to think about what went wrong, I always think of how to make it better. Whether you believe it or not, _I can help you_."

  
. . .

  
"From a certain point of view, this conversation was taken a _bit_ out of context." Ephraim noted.

  
"Yeah. But still, think about it. Ya know? I don't have that much time left here; I want to make the most of it."

  
Ephraim simply nodded, and they continued their exercises.

  
"So, tell me about Kaiyah. What have you found out?"

  
"Well, she has a great sense of humor, she has a family of many sisters and one brother -like mine- and overall, _very_ easy to relate to; she has many common interests."

  
"Interesting. Becky too has a great sense of humor, and also has common interests; she's kinda quiet most of the time, which makes for some very awkward moments; she's so far the only child; her mother is expecting at the moment. That's all I was told."

  
"Sounds like we could make a great team if put together." Ephraim said.

  
"I don't think I'll be able to go on any more missions before I go. Did you notice the looks Aren was giving me?"

  
"I did; I had to quickly avert my gaze before he caught mine."

  
"Yeah, he's a toughie."

  
. . .

  
"What do you think he's gonna do to that base?"

  
"Same thing as usual."

 


	4. Chapter 4

  
Chapter 4

  
"Please tell us a little more about yourselves. Any fighting skills?" Aren asked Becky and Kaiyah.

  
"Oh yes. We're both very efficient in physical combat, and with the force." Kaiyah answered.

  
"How experienced would you say?" Aren inquired.

  
"Very experienced, I guess." Kaiyah replied.

  
"Mhm. If you were sent on a mission to, destroy a mediocrely-guarded Resistance base. . . how do you think you could handle that?"

  
"Piece of cake. We were kinda smugglers, bounty hunters before we came here."

  
"What of your families?"

  
"We keep in contact. Our other life was how we earned our family a living. On that note, how long will I be here?"

  
Aren didn't know that their families' livings were at risk, and suddenly felt a little guilty.

  
"Well, the thing is. This is typically the home of those who come and stay here. But with that new information, I can arrange a compromise for your families' sakes."

  
"Oh..."

  
"This could've almost been screwed up." Becky interrupted.

  
"Well, thank you for considering. Curious: why did you ask about the base?"

  
"We've recently received a notification of a moderate Resistance base in the Mid-Rim, and we need people to go after it. Ephraim can't go alone."

  
"Oh. This soon?"

  
"Yes, unless you think you're unprepared?" Aren suggested.

  
"Well, shouldn't there be a test or something?"

  
"Indeed. Masters Ora and Dara are just outside; they'll accompany you in the training test." Aren gestured to the door. They got up to leave, then Aren said, "Wait. . . You, Becky. What do you say? Are you on board?"

  
"Yes sir."

  
"Good. You may proceed."

  
Tover entered the room after the others left. "How are we going to keep Exar away? He loves going on missions; especially with Ephraim."

  
"We give him one thing he's always wanted." Aren replied blankly.

  
". . . Oh! Is he ready?"

  
"Definitely. And, I think he means to desert us. If we give him the promotion, he'll want to stay."

  
"He. . . How long have you known?"

  
"Since shortly before he came back from his last mission."

  
"Were you going to do anything about it?"

  
"I think I just did." Aren replied. "If his thoughts persist, then he may have to be punished."

  
"Maybe we're not trying hard enough." Tover suggested.

  
"We're doing all we can. What else can we do?"

  
Tover simply nodded in understanding.

  
\---

  
Exar joined Ephraim as they stood by and watched Ora and Dara train Becky and Kaiyah. "Anything interesting happen so far?" Exar asked.

  
"They've just proven to be very strong physically, and their deep force connection has also proven them to be very formidable opponents."

  
"I missed it all didn't I?" Exar deadpanned.

  
"Not really. Master Jecht hasn't taken them to the mission simulator yet. Then again, there's really nothing to see there except the results when they come out. So you might've kinda missed everything."

  
Tover entered the training room and stood by the two. "Exar, I need you to come with me."

  
"Um... ok." He followed Tover outside; before he left, he turned to Ephraim and mouthed the words 'fill me in later.' Ephraim nodded.

  
Once no one was around, Exar asked, "What is it?"  
"I know you know of Ephraim's little secret, and I think it's a little unfair that you don't get a little something too; as you are the next top student."

  
"I'm not an elementeer though." Exar pointed out.

  
"No, but that doesn't mean there's nothing left for you."

  
"What is there?" Exar asked, becoming excitedly suspicious.

  
"Aren and I have decided to promote you. You're going to be a library guard."

  
Exar was nearly overtaken by shock and happiness, though shock was only apparent on his face.

  
-This may not make sense to you; you might question how being a library guard is a higher rank than being one who goes on missions to perform tasks for his home. The library guards are the highly trained professionals who guard the sacred documents that are scarcely known throughout the galaxy. It is a big deal to protect the important documents and secrets held within; being a trained guard, you can prevent any intruders from stealing the knowledge-

  
 _'Well I guess I'll be seeing less of them anyway.'_ Exar figured out. "When do I start?"

  
"At the end of the day, you will be personally transported to Dathomir II and you will be given a shift schedule, a uniform, and your guard weapon of choice."

  
Exar smiled, then said, "Thank you sir."

  
Tover smiled back. "Be prepared to depart by then."

  
\---

  
Exar, Ephraim, Becky, and Kaiyah crossed each other in a break room.

  
"What's up guys? How'd it go?" Exar asked, referring to the mission simulator.

  
"We passed the tests; we'll be able to go on missions very soon." Kaiyah replied.

  
"She's really hyped for this." Becky said.

  
"Well congratulations. It's rare we get gifted students out in the field this soon after they arrive." Ephraim said.

  
"I think you guys will get your codenames sooner than we did." Exar joked.

  
"That would be cool." Ephraim agreed, nodding his head. "But there are requirements to get those."

  
"What are your guys' code names?" Becky asked.

  
"Mine is 'Erk.' That typically means, like, a despised person. We are despised by the Republic, and we are proud of who we are; so I stand by the name." Ephraim answered.

  
"Mine is 'Mirtis.' It is an alternate term for 'death.' " Exar replied.

  
"Wow! I wonder what kind of names we'll get." Kaiyah replied, a little surprised by the name choices. "I guess we'll find out in the future."

  
Exar remembered his horrifying vision of the possible future from days before, but was brought from his thoughts when Ephraim started another topic.

  
"I have taken the first step in reaching my elemental power." He blurted.

  
"You're an elementeer too?" Kaiyah asked, shocked even more.

  
"Yeah. I told Exar, so i figured you guys could know."

  
"So we have three elementeers in the room right now?" Becky asked seriously.

  
"Is that. . . something important?" Ephraim asked.

  
"Kinda. You should look into it when you can." Becky told him.

  
"I would, but I'm not allowed access to the library yet."

  
"Oh! I was just promoted to a library guard today." Exar piped up.

  
Ephraim's expression darkened slightly, and he looked at Exar. "You. . . what?"

  
"I uh, think you-"

  
"Exar, a moment?" Ephraim gestured Exar away from the group. "Think about this." He whispered, "You know how Aren is. This could be a plan to keep you from leaving."

  
"How would he know?" Exar whispered back.

  
"Like I said, 'you know how Aren is.' Also, I've done more than you; according to the rules, if anything, I'd have been promoted first." Ephraim replied somewhat sarcastically.

  
"You do bring a good point." Exar replied. "I'll go along with it; I'll see if I can learn about elementeers, and I'll let you know then, _somehow_. Then when the time is right, I'll make my move to escape."

  
Ephraim let out a sad sigh. "That's a plan alright." He mumbled. "I'm gonna miss you."

  
"Ditto."

  
"What was that about?" Kaiyah asked as they got back to the group.

  
"Just going over some sorta-illogical decisions that have been made." Ephraim replied.

  
"Um. . . Ok."

  
"So do any of you guys know what your elements are yet?" Exar asked the two girls.

  
"Not yet. We hope to find out soon." Kaiyah answered.

  
"It must be awesome, you know. To be 'elementeers.' You guys get to do more with the power you have, and I'm just left here with none of that." Exar said.  
"Everyone has something; you need to find yours." Becky told him.

  
"Now if that was true, the Galactic Civil War of the Old Republic would've been an entirely different story. Heck, everything we _know_ would've been a different story."

  
"I don't mean specially-enhanced force abilities. Everyone has something to contribute to become better than they were. You just need to find something special about yourself which you can contribute to make you stand out."

  
. . .

  
Exar couldn't find the words.

  
"You might have to get used to that." Kaiyah said.

  
"Mhm." Exar hummed. "Hey, do you guys have battle armor?"

  
"We do. You wanna see them?" Kaiyah asked.

  
"Sure." Ephraim replied.

  
\---

  
Becky and Kaiyah brought their armor sets in cases and presented them. They opened the cases, and they saw the sets of armor inside.

  


  
"Those are impressive pieces." Ephraim complemented.

  
"Thanks." Kaiyah said.

  
"Mandalorian? That's interesting." Exar said.

  
"Very interesting story behind that." Becky said.

  
"I don't doubt it. You guys seem like you've had quite the adventures." Exar said.

  
"You wouldn't believe it."

  
"Again, I wouldn't doubt it."

  
\---

  
Exar refreshed himself in preparation for his departure. In the hours he and Ephraim spent hanging out with the new recruits, he had to act like he had no plan to leave. It hurt him inside that he knew he had to abandon his home, shortly after he made good new friends. All they knew was that he was promoted to library guard, where he'd be there most of the day; they'd see him at night times. They were to soon find out that he will have deserted them.

  
What they might think about him then crossed his mind. They had befriended him, and he was just going to leave them right after. He wanted to go through with it less than he did before, but still felt strongly that he needed to; it was for his greater good. He needed to find a real life; after his pondering, he knew there was more to his life than murdering Resistance soldiers.

  
He had figured out that his current life was not about killing; he didn't know then what his calling was. He intended to figure out, and his leaving his home for good was going to be the first step in that journey.

  
He headed to the docking bay, where many of the soldiers had gathered to congratulate him on his promotion. He met Tover right beside the carrier shuttle, where they shook hands.

  
"Good luck, Exar. May the force be with you." Tover said.

  
"Thank you." Exar replied. He then turned around and looked at Ephraim, Kaiyah, and Becky. He approached them and hugged Ephraim. "I'm gonna miss you." He whispered.

  
Ephraim knew what he meant, then knew that the time was drawing near. "You too." And hugged him tighter.

  
Exar went and fist bumped Becky and Kaiyah. "I'll see you soon." He said. _'Why did I say that?! I'm probably not going to see any of them for a long time. Maybe ever. Now I feel guilty.'_

  
"You too." They both replied.

  
"As I go, I will be thinking of all of you." Exar proclaimed to the room. While it flew by most of their heads, Ephraim knew what he really meant. And quite possibly Aren.

  
Tover guided Exar and his bodyguard onto the shuttle, where Exar would soo lift off. Everyone applauded as his ship left and entered hyperspace.

  
Everyone was happy for Exar's promotion to Dathomir II; Exar was dreadful, for it was the last time he would ever be in those caves with all his friends.

  
He didn't deny the few tears that streamed down his face.

  
He stared out the window from the co-pilot's seat, watching the stars whizzing behind him. He listened to the booms that the ship made due to speed.

  
He closed his eyes and meditated for a brief moment. He let the force flow through him, and it calmed him down. Once he was calm, he remained in his deep, meditative state. As he delved deeper into the force, he suddenly felt a connection, only not with anyone in particular. He didn't know what he connected with until he found himself surrounded.

  
_'Did I... connect with the stars?'_

  
Exar tried learning more about it, but was pulled from his vision when the ship stopped, and the guard shook him awake.

  
"You're here, kid." The guard said. Exar beheld Dathomir II.

  
The ship went down to the orange atomosphere, and Exar witnessed the beauty of the planet. Multi-colored plains and rocks, beautiful skylines. He saw the suns' reflections off some rocks, making them shine like crystals.

  
"It's beautiful." Exar gasped, in complete awe. "Honestly, there's something familiar about this place."

  
"All Zabrak soldiers were born here, but raised on Tatooine." The guard said.

  
"Huh." Exar sighed, hypnotized by the view.

  
The ship landed on the platform, and Exar finally diverted his view of the tableland, and saw the castle-like structure at the other end of the platform.

  
Exar and the guard stepped out and were greeted by the current wave of elite guards.

  
"State your business." The leader said.

  
The guard handed the chief a datapad and replied, "Promotion. By the order of Aren Mastigar and Tover Celchu, Exar Sunrider here will be your new addition."  
The chief guard smiled and laughed a little. He handed the datapad back to the bodyguard and looked at Exar. "Welcome to the team, Sunrider. Come with us." He said.

  
Exar followed the group as the bodyguard boarded his ship and left.

  
"Just right inside, to the right." The chief said as they entered the building. They went right and entered a break room. The chief opened the closet in the room, where there were spare guard uniforms. "What size?" He asked.

  
"Uh, 'Large.' " Exar replied.

  
The chief got a size-matching uniform and handed it to Exar. Exar took the hangar and looked at the uniform in whole.

  


  
"This looks sweet." Exar said.

  
"It is, and it's unbelievably comfortable. Now, here's your shift schedule." Exar was handed a datapad. "If you'll look into the chest in the closet, there are weapons you can choose. I have other business to attend to at the moment; if you need anything else, I'll be Tobian Celchu."

  
"Celchu?! No way!" Exar exclaimed, making Tobian laugh. As Tobain started leaving, Exar called after him, "Wait wait! Hold up! Nuh-uh! You can't drop a bomb like that and leave. I wanna know more!"

  
Tobian just kept laughing. He shrugged, then said, "I got stuff to do. Your tour guide will be here shortly to show you around. Believe me, this place is way bigger than it looks." Then he left; Exar remained jaw-dropped. _'I had no kriffing idea Tover had a brother!'_

  
At the end of the tour, Exar ended up at the library. He looked up above the big door and saw a flat crystal circle. "What's that?" He asked.

  
"That crystal circle is what allows this door to open. The energy that flows through it is what powers our facility. Though not through that crystal alone; we have more." One of th guards answered.

  
"We have to use the force to open it." Another said.

  
Exar watched as they lifted their arms and concentrated, then turned and faced the door as he heard it opening.

  
Once the doors opened, he looked inside and looked on in wonder at the vast collection of documents and books filled in on the many, many shelves in the great room.

  
"This is the so-sacred library." Exar said.

  
"This is what we protect with our lives." A guard added.

  
Then Exar noticed a flaw. "If this library is so important, then why does it only have one door? Shouldn't there be an emergency exit?"

  
The guards gestured for Exar to follow them. They stopped at the back of the library, next to a wall. "There is an emergency exit. In case of invasion," The guard delivered a hard punch to the wall, and knocked bricks out of the wall, not leaving a portion of any brick on the wall. A human(oid)-sized hole was in the wall. Exar looked in and saw stairs and pathways. "In case of invasion, we all head here and take as many documents as we can and go through these secret tunnels; and we preserve them in a casing. This path leads to a secret docking bay where we can escape the planet via hyperspace. There is a launching platform that jumpstarts the ship and immediately pushes us into lightspeed."

  
"Clever. Whoever founded this place really thought of everything." Exar said.

  
\---

  
Ephram could sense the force moving, and was nervously anxious for the events to come.

 


End file.
